Considering RCMP members are trained to use lethal force with a pretty low threshold I think this is pretty fair. The RCMP is a pretty bizarre organization that doesn't really have clear parallels in other developed nations. I think it's accurate to call it a paramilitary force and they end up juggling extremely serious crimes in most cases - but tend to be the only organization with clear jurisdiction in most reservations. So, for the closest American equivalent, occasionally SWAT gets called in to break up domestic issues and investigate robberies.

That seems like a very uncharitable characterization of the RCMP, they act as the defacto police in the maritimes and that doesn't seem to have an impact on police killings[1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforc...

I think our main point of comparison for the RCMP behavior is the American policing system and from that comparison the RCMP come out looking saintly. I also do strongly believe that RCMP members take a lot of pride in being a force of justice and trying to apply the law evenly - there are certainly cases where that doesn't happen but my point is more focused on the contrast of duties.

RCMP members are normally trained for situations that local police (that specialize in de-escalation) can't handle - but when it comes to reservations they're the authority in pretty much all cases. Being in the RCMP isn't an easy job and it'll leave you scarred and hardened in a way that can seriously impede your ability to properly deescalate non-violent situations.

> RCMP members are normally trained for situations that local police (that specialize in de-escalation) can't handle - but when it comes to reservations they're the authority in pretty much all cases.

First Nations deal with the (federal) Crown, and so the RCMP is the federal law enforcement agency. Unless (a/each) First Nation wants to run their own police force internally?

But there are entire regions that don't do that because of the costs involved, and so they contract out to the RCMP to be the provincial (and even municipal) police.

The larger provinces (ON, QC) have their own services, and they are also contracted out to the smaller municipalities. Not sure how provincial police would work (or not) on the reserves.

Many reserves do indeed have their own police forces internally. In fact, when I was in high school, a Fort Frances City police officer pulled over a First Nations police officer who had their emergency signals activated, for crossing a double line, on a provincial highway (just outside city limits) It was a shit show. My father was involved in mediating that, there was a real world consequence to that officer not being able to respond to that call, and the city officer admitted he was concerned with making a jurisdictional point (even though, even if he was technically right, he also ended up being technically wrong, the road had become provincial). In another instance, a first nations officer got into an accident responding to a call on the reserve with their emergency signals activated (ran a light iirc), at the time, they were within city limits, so the city decided to issue them a traffic violation and charge them.

You know the RCMP are the local police in rather a lot of Canada, including being the provincial police in 7 provinces, and the municipal police in a great many municipalities.